Passion can be a wonderful resource for a business, but its a resource that can quickly be burned out if no focus or guidance is provided to channel your passion into constructive activities that build your business. Business burnout sets in the and the person starts to hate his/her business. Does this sound familiar?
A business plan doesn’t have to be an MBA style business plan. In fact, for small businesses, unless you are trying to get a business loan, such a business plan isn’t effective, because its really only focused on the money. It’s better to use a holistic business plan that examines not just the business, but also your life and how the business integrates into your life. Additionally such a business plan needs to examine not only the marketing message and call for action, but also what you will do to deliver your services and products as well as how you will keep your current clients happy.
Your passion, when directed by a plan with specific actions that need to be taken, will produce results that keeps you in joy and produces the life you want to live, as well as the business you want to run. Of course a business plan is only part of that equation. There may be business development tools that you can use to streamline your activity. You should use those tools in order to make effective use of your time and resources. But those tools shouldn’t replace having a business plan. The business plan will provide the necessary structure to support the informed use of those tools to grow your business.
The result will be focused passion that sustains your business, while also helping you find joy in what you are doing and in your overall life.
